Doctor Accused In Opioid Distribution Ring Charged In Cherokee

CANTON, GA — A former medical examiner and his alleged accomplices indicted on federal charges in connection to an opioid distribution investigation have also been charged with illegally dispensing these same type of drugs in Cherokee County.

The Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad has charged Dr. Joseph L. Burton, 76, of Miton and several others with racketeering related to the alleged operation. These individuals were all indicted on federal charges as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and CMANS notes the drugs prescribed by Burton were distributed in Barrow, Bartow, Cobb, Fayette, Floyd, Gwinnett, Hall and Paulding counties.

CMANS' investigation was done with the help of other agencies around metro Atlanta, Georgia Drug and Narcotics Agency and the DEA, and included coordinated indictments filed in at least eight counties and in federal court.

According to federal prosecutors, Burton operated as a consulting pathologist and was tasked with finding out the causes of disease and death (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here).

Federal agents began looking into Burton after the Georgia Drug & Narcotics Agency visited him in early 2017 and found that he was prescribing painkillers to a large number of people despite not operating a medical clinic or regularly seeing patients.

Beginning in July 2015, Burton allegedly issued 1,100 prescriptions for opioids, which the feds states amounted to more than 108,000 individual doses to include over 66,000 30mg oxycodone pills. The indictment also charges the doctor prescribed drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone "irrespective of any legitimate medical purpose and outside the normal course of professional practice in exchange for sexual favors and romantic affection," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

For example, Burton would prescribe these drugs to people without thoroughly examining them and, at times, not meeting with them. Co-defendants Jennifer Hunter, 29 of Acworth, Rhonda Haugland, 59, of Flowery Branch, and Tiffany Willis, 26, of Cartersville each engaged in a romantic relationship with Burton in exchange for prescriptions in their names as well as the names of others. As part of the conspiracy, the women would fill their prescriptions and sell the pills, and then obtain more prescriptions from Burton to give to paying customers.

Along with Burton and Hunter, others charged locally by CMANS include Nancy Fossett, Sandy Cargile, Justin Cargile, Roy Cargile, Jerry Morgan, Harold Saye, David Tatum, Joyce Justene Jenkins, Michelle Danner and Ashley Powell.

Fossett, Saye and Sandy Cargile were booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on Thursday, March 1, jail records show. Fossett and Cargile are charged with racketeering while Saye is charged with four counts each of obtaining controlled substances by forgery and possession of a schedule II drug.

"The abuse of prescription painkillers is the root cause of heroin abuse in Cherokee County, and CMANS agents have worked alongside our neighbors and federal partners to address this serious problem," CMANS said on its Facebook page. "Agents from CMANS actively pursue cases related to opioid abuse involving fraudulent prescriptions, cases of double doctoring, or, as in this case, medical professionals who violate their oath. Burton’s arrest marks the third arrest this year in Cherokee County of persons with medical connections arrested for drug charges."

The Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad is a joint task force working to investigate drug related violations. Participating agencies include the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, Canton Police Department, Woodstock Police Department, Holly Springs Police Department, Ball Ground Police Department, Cherokee County Marshal's Office, District Attorney's Office for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, and Georgia State Patrol. Citizens may call in tips anonymously at (770) 345-7920 or may speak to an agent by calling (678) 493-7625.

Photo: a 2009 booking photo of Dr. Joseph Burton provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office